PANJIM: From January 2022, horticulture producers in the State can expect assured price at least 1.5 times of production cost, as the Goa State Horticulture Corporation Limited has decided to do away with its traditional pre-fixed rate scheme for farmers. The corporation is set to introduce 14 more vegetable varieties on the procurement list, apart from the existing 13.
The GSHCL is implementing the Assured Market Scheme, wherein, currently farmers are assured with marketing their produce at prefixed rates. From January 2022, the corporation intends to procure vegetables at 1.5 times the production cost.
GSHCL MD Sandeep Faldessai said the scheme, to be implemented over a period of one year, will cover 27 varieties of vegetables, as against the existing 13, and there would be provision to revise the assured price, if required, thereafter.
“The pre-fixed rates are revised in very three months. But, the assured price of 1.5 times the cost of production, will be in force for a period of one year and necessary revision would be done according to the demand,” he explained.
A budgetary provision of Rs 750 lakh is been made for the same. Faldessai said, “The proposal is in pipeline with the Agriculture Department and once approved by government, we will go ahead with it from January, next year.”
“We realised that under pre-fixed rate scheme, farmers opt to cultivate those veggies, for which the rates are highest; resulting into excess production and wastage,” Faldessai said.
“This contemplated the corporation to undertake assessment of cost of production of all the vegetables that we procure across the State. The scheme will help farmers to grow different vegetables, relieve them from problems of marketing their produce and fluctuation of prices,” he explained.
The existing vegetables procured are ladyfinger, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, cluster beans, French beans, chillies, onion, potato and tomato. The 14 more on list are ginger, capsicum, ash gourd, diascorea, amado, drumstick, red pumpkin, sweet potato, bread fruit, long bean, banana flower bud, aakur and jackfruit.
“The introduction of more veggies will throw open more options before farmers to preplan their crop. Also, efforts are to encourage farmers, having large farms, to cultivate more than one crop,” Faldessai said.
